This is an intake funnel and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. THIS FUNNEL IS NOT A LAW FIRM. Using this funnel or submitting a request does not create an attorney-client relationship. All requests submitted through this funnel are referred to Attorney Badri Yono Jr. (P88777) of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., who will conduct a conflict check before communicating directly with you and will provide legal services after an engagement agreement is executed, subject to its terms.
Badri Yono Jr. Esq.Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C.

Genesee County Estate Planning Lawyer

Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. helps Genesee County, Michigan families with wills, revocable living trusts, financial powers of attorney and patient advocate designations. Every plan is quoted as a flat fee in writing before any work begins.

Most Genesee County estates are modest, and that is exactly why planning matters here. When the estate is a house, a pension or a retirement account, and a vehicle, the cost of probate is a far larger share of what the family actually receives. The same handful of decisions; who is named on the deed, who is named on each account, and who is allowed to sign if you cannot; usually determine whether the family spends a few hundred dollars or several thousand, and whether they wait weeks or most of a year.

Genesee County Wills and Trusts Attorney

A Genesee County estate plan usually starts with a choice between a will and a revocable living trust. A trust can keep an estate out of the Flint probate court, but only for the assets actually titled into it; see funding your trust.

Genesee County Powers of Attorney

A financial durable power of attorney names who handles bills, accounts and property if you cannot. A patient advocate designation names who makes health care decisions, and a HIPAA authorization lets them get the records.

Estate planning matters handled for Genesee County families include:

Genesee County Probate and Trust Administration

When someone who lived in Genesee County dies with assets in their sole name, the estate is opened at the Genesee County Probate Court in Flint, at 900 S. Saginaw St., Flint, MI 48502. Genesee County probate is handled at the courthouse on S. Saginaw Street in Flint, and smaller estates may qualify for a simplified filing if the values fall within the statutory limits. Filing methods, hours and fees are on the Genesee County probate page.

Estate Planning Situations Common in Genesee County

Pensions and retirement accounts from a long career

Auto industry pensions, union benefits and employer retirement plans pass by beneficiary designation, not by will. Those forms were often filled out decades ago, sometimes before a divorce or before grandchildren existed. A form naming a former spouse controls over a will that says otherwise, which is why every designation gets reviewed line by line.

A long-owned family home

When the house is the estate, the goal is usually to get it to the children without a court file. A lady bird deed can do that in a single document for a modest cost, while a trust makes more sense when there are several children or one who should not receive an outright share. Either way, the deed itself has to change; a will alone does not keep a home out of probate.

Small estates and what actually qualifies

Michigan has simplified procedures for smaller estates, but the limits are narrow and the value counted is not what most people expect. See the Michigan small estate process for the current thresholds and what they leave out. Planning ahead is still cheaper and faster than qualifying after the fact.

Adult children helping a parent manage bills

A financial durable power of attorney and a patient advocate designation let a trusted adult child pay bills, deal with insurers and speak to doctors. Without them the family has to petition the Flint courthouse for authority, which costs far more and takes far longer than the documents would have.

Communities Served in Genesee County

Cities and Villages

  • Burton
  • Clio
  • Davison
  • Fenton
  • Flint
  • Flushing
  • Gaines
  • Goodrich
  • Grand Blanc
  • Lennon
  • Linden
  • Montrose
  • Mount Morris
  • Otisville
  • Otter Lake
  • Swartz Creek

Townships

  • Argentine Township
  • Atlas Township
  • Clayton Township
  • Davison Township
  • Fenton Township
  • Flint Township
  • Flushing Township
  • Forest Township
  • Gaines Township
  • Genesee Township
  • Grand Blanc Township
  • Montrose Township
  • Mount Morris Township
  • Mundy Township
  • Richfield Township
  • Thetford Township
  • Vienna Township

For more information, request a consultation with a Genesee County estate planning attorney, or see flat fee plans.

Request a consultation

This is an intake funnel and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. THIS FUNNEL IS NOT A LAW FIRM. Using this funnel or submitting a request does not create an attorney-client relationship. All requests are referred to Attorney Badri Yono Jr. (P88777) of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., who will provide legal services after an engagement agreement is executed, subject to its terms.

Talk with Attorney Badri Yono Jr.

Tell us about your family and we'll connect you directly with Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift; with a flat fee quoted in writing before any work begins.

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